The present invention relates generally to spot welding guns and, more specifically, to weld guns that are constructed from modular components.
Traditional spot welding guns are usually custom manufactured for their intended application. These custom welding guns include welding arms that are moved by some type of actuator, such as a pneumatic or servo actuator. The welding arms, yokes, and pivots are often custom configured and may be part of a custom casting including the arms, yokes, pivot supports, and actuator arms. Obviously, custom casting portions of the weld gun raises the cost and complexity of the gun and increases the lead time required for providing the gun for a specific application. In light of this, there is a need for a modular approach to the design and construction of spot welding guns.
The present invention improves on the prior art by providing a modular welding gun including a frame and an upper and lower yoke that are both interconnected with the frame. At least one of the yokes is movable with respect to the frame. An upper weld arm has a first end that is removably interconnected with an upper yoke and a second end which is configured to support an electrode. A lower arm has a first end removable interconnected with the lower yoke, and a second end configured to support an electrode. An actuator is operable to move the movable yoke between a welding position and a rest position.